Wafer hits for 11 as Magic notches sloppy 40-37 halftime lead

It’s been a night of many missed jump shots so far as Orlando has clanked to a 40-37 halftime lead over the Spurs at the Amway Center.

Von Wafer has scored 11 points to lead a sputtering Magic offense as Orlando has hit only 34.9 percent from the field.

The Spurs haven’t been much better at 40.5 percent as inside players DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter have scored eight points apiece to lead them.

Both teams have looked tired as the Spurs are in the back game of a back-to-back. Orlando trumps them as the Magic are playing their third game in three nights.

That fatigue has resulted in a lot of missed shots and mental mistakes early as the game has appeared at times like a preseason game because of the struggling production.

And Gregg Popovich resorted to the Hack-a-Howard strategy to put poor shooting Orlando center Dwight Howard at the line. Howard hit 2 of 4 from the line on those two possessions as he has scored eight points.

Howard has been a force inside, where he has accounted for a game-high 13 rebounds. The Magic have dominated the game on the boards, 30-18.